The research vessel carried a large number of scientists and engineers.
It was heading for Tangle Planet.
As the fortress world designated by Cisrain, it was only seven days away.
During those seven days, they needed to familiarize themselves with their new equipment as quickly as possible.
Cyrus signed the agreement and felt a little more at ease.
Although, according to Brown, the debt he might owe could last ten thousand years.
Still, he would rather bear ten thousand years of debt than become a minion of Chaos.
Besides, it was only a written agreement, not some rule of the physical world. Surely they couldn't actually change the laws of physics?
"The captain seems a little more relaxed."
"He's been so tense lately. Must be going through menopause."
"Does the captain's blooming season end that quickly?" Blue, a new recruit who had only been in the service for five years, looked curious.
"You can go ask him."
"Don't. They're messing with you. If you want to eat the captain's iron fist, go ahead and try."
The five of them now each had their own duties, and had gone from being a reconnaissance squad to a Tactical Squad.
Cyrus was the captain and commander, with around two hundred years of service.
Yalta was the deputy captain and Shield Guard, with over forty years of service.
Talon was the mechanic and sniper, with over thirty years of service.
Maglin was the assault warrior and Psyker, with over thirty years of service.
Blue was the medic, resource recovery specialist, and heavy weapons warrior, with five years of service.
Watching the sniper rifle in Talon's hands, the others looked envious. "Talon, let me have a go with that gun."
"No."
"I'm the deputy captain. Can I have a go with your gun?"
"Not even if you were my dad."
"Little Talon, there's something I've never told you. Back then..."
"Yalta!"
"Knock it off. Settle down." Cyrus increasingly felt his teammates' attitudes changing. In the past, they had carried out their missions with absolute discipline. They had been no more than the Emperor's currency, reciting their oaths in solemnity and reverence, completing their duties in loyalty and honor, unleashing the Empire's fury with anger and reason, and returning to the Golden Throne amid gunfire and volleys of bullets. But now, they had begun to seem a little more human.
"I wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
Never mind.
Maybe he was worrying too much. Perhaps Brown was right.
He always did think too much.
They weren't as fragile as he imagined.
He cared too much about the future and worried about the past, so he was always fretting over what might happen.
"."
Cyrus's tone softened. "Get as much rest as you can. Once we reach those two planets, you might not have time to rest."
Cyrus turned and left. His presence always put an invisible pressure on the others.
"Yes, captain."
"Yes, captain."
The seven-day journey passed in a flash.
The hidden expanse of a six-planet system gradually came into view.
Their destination was a yellow-brown planet, its gaseous clouds drifting overhead. Against the backdrop of space, it looked like a gemstone the color of earth.
"This world is quite beautiful."
"Too bad it's occupied by Xenos."
"That's why the governor sent us. To make sure they don't lose their hold, we need to take this planet and help them defend it."
On the far side of the ochre planet, a fleet of Xenos ships came into view.
"Bring us around to the far side of the planet. The research vessel is to stay out of the combat zone for now. Send out a probe ship and take us down to Tangle." Cyrus issued his orders.
"Understood. The Ghost One probe ship is ready. My lords, you may board."
"Talon, Yalta, Maglin, Blue—carry out the mission."
"Yes, captain."
Once the order to begin the mission was given, everyone returned to their usual rational selves, setting aside all unnecessary emotions.
They all climbed aboard the probe ship. "Magnetic boots: online."
The boots locked them firmly in place aboard the ship.
Inside their helmets, the announcements continued. "Space quantum computer: online. Connecting to the space network. Team linked to the combat system."
"Real-time environmental detection system: online. Battlefield environment detection system: online. Database loaded. Equipment function self-check: first pass, second pass. Manual inspection: safe. Weapon check: kinetic gun energy at seventy-nine percent. Maintain current level."
"Preparing for deployment."
Electronic voices kept sounding throughout the ship's cabin.
The research vessel's deployment was much steadier than the various Battle Barges they had ridden before.
In space, after the Ghost One detached from the research vessel, it accelerated in an instant.
A pale blue ghost ring appeared around the Ghost One's tail, tracing a silver line beneath the curtain of eternal night.
The ghost ship dodged the enemy vessels and headed down toward Tangle.
Meanwhile, the research vessel secretly began building defense cannons on the planet where it had docked. They did not need to destroy the enemy fleet—only force it to withdraw.
Tangle.
It was a planet of ore and deserts.
The desert was Tangle's natural camouflage. At the heart of Ilde, Tangle's capital...
Under the control of the Tau Empire, the rebels, together with the Stinger Bee ground and air forces, were storming the capital of Tangle.
On the city wall,
a figure in green Power Armor appeared. He held a hammer almost as tall as he was, and the markings of the Salamanders Chapter could still just be made out on his armor. His hammer smashed one Xenos after another, but whenever he faced humans, he held back.
"Soldiers, fall back!"
"Fall back at once!"
Only when he could no longer drive the frenzied soldiers away did Vulkan draw his Bolter and put down those soldiers lost to their madness.
The Salamanders Chapter was something of an oddity among the Chapters.
They loved forging weapons, so some said their dark skin came from years of roasting beside blazing furnaces.
But compared to other Chapters' indifference toward humanity, they were far more compassionate. They chose ways of fighting that caused the fewest human casualties, and even mourned when they had to kill Xenos children. They were merciful, compassionate, tolerant, and caring.
That was why their Chapter always suffered more casualties than the others.
Vrrm!
Vrrm! Vrrm! Vrrm!
Among the Wasp-men, the faster-moving Stinger Bees held the advantage in the sky. They could keep compressing the battlefield, and the Tau Empire had given the Wasp-men a terrifying weapon: neutron weapons, which posed a greater threat than ordinary Bolters.
Neutron weapons were weapons from the Wasp-men's homeworld.
Only the Wasp-men could use them.
The Wasp-men made their wings vibrate, resonating with radioactive crystals dug from their homeworld to charge the weapons. Even the heaviest armor struggled to withstand their disintegrating effect. Of course, their rate of fire and level of threat were no match for the Necrons' Gauss Rays.
But against ordinary mortals—or even an unprepared Astartes—one hit could be fatal.
There was no place for mercy on the battlefield.
Vulkan's compassion gave the Wasp-men an opening.
A neutron weapon struck Vulkan's arm, making him drop his weapon.
"Captain!!!"
"Damn it!"
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